1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to the field of detection of substances present in biological fluids. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to devices, systems and methods for detection of clozapine and/or other substances in biological fluids such as blood.
2. Background of Related Art
One of the most disturbing problems facing the psychiatrist is when many inpatients and outpatients trusted to his or her care drop out of treatment before they have completed it to his or her satisfaction. This problem has usually been demonstrated in mental health disorders (19% of all mental health patients. 2002 figures) where chronic conditions require prolonged treatment with harsh and burdensome side effects. For example, schizophrenia is one of the most challenging and complex psychiatric disorders afflict humans. It is a lifelong and devastating illness that affects 1% of the population worldwide. The burden of the disorder is high with the estimated direct and indirect costs of the illness (2002 figures) to exceed $60 billion annually [1]. Currently there is no cure for the disorder and lifelong treatment with antipsychotics is recommended [2]. Approximately 30-50% of patients do not respond to first line psychiatric drug treatment. Clozapine (CLZ) is the only antipsychotic approved by FDA for treatment-resistant schizophrenia [3]. Despite the overwhelming evidence of the superior efficacy and effectiveness, CLZ is prescribed infrequently in the United States (less than 10% of all patients with schizophrenia), at a disproportionately lower rate than the estimated prevalence of treatment-resistant schizophrenia [4-6]. CLZ remains underutilized because of its frequent and invasive monitoring for plasma concentrations (weekly blood draws for white blood cells performed over the first six months), and adverse effects such as agranulocytosis, which is chief among them [5-12].